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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · track · march · bore · jam · key · row · wound

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. row — to paddle
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. key — in music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. march — the month
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — a path
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. track — a song
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a line
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com